[dp1]

I tried OF, then went back to my database because I couldn't get OF to cope with complexity and high volume. But I have increasing need of sync and mobility, so I'm trying OF again, and am hopeful that experienced users will be able to help me get my mind around its methods.

"Ask boss to adjust budget target for Project X."

- Since my other Project X tasks are in the Office context, and since I could do this from the office via email (although that wouldn't be optimal), it needs to go into my Office context, lest it fail to appear in a list of available Office tasks.

- On the other hand, I will probably see my boss at the next Directors meeting, so it needs to go into the Directors context.

- On the third (?) hand, I may have a serendipitous encounter with my boss before then, so it needs to go into my Boss context.

The number of actions like this is so large that a generic Multiple context would quickly contain an unmanageable number of disparate actions.

In short, I need a one-to-many relationship between action and context. Stated more conventionally, I need to be able to tag an action with multiple contexts, without creating duplicates of that action. Can this be done in OF? If not, have any of you found a workaround?

[whpalmer4]

The thing you most need to get this task done in the best way is the presence of your boss, so Agenda : Boss is your context. If you encounter your boss, you pull up that context and execute the items there as appropriate. Flipping it around, your boss isn't making a list of things to talk to you about on the phone, and a different list to talk to you about in a meeting -- they make a list of things they are going to talk to you about the next time they have the chance, right?

[malisa]

And if you could email him from the office but it wouldn't be optimal, maybe put a note on that action or make another action with a future start date (or both?) that if you haven't run into him by Xdate, email him.

[dp1]

Originally Posted by malisa

And if you could email him from the office but it wouldn't be optimal, maybe put a note on that action or make another action with a future start date (or both?) that if you haven't run into him by Xdate, email him.

I'm confused. If I put a note on an Office action, I won't see it in other contexts. If I understand correctly, you are recommending multiple entries for the same action in order to cope with deferral. That's another question I have, but it would take this thread off topic. To the point, you are recommending a note on an Office action stating that another context would be preferable. Since I won't see that note in other contexts, won't I have to create duplicate entries in those contexts?

[SpiralOcean]

You could try placing a "tag" in the note field that says @boss, or something unique.

Then select your top level folder
in the search field type @boss

All actions with @boss in the note will appear no matter what context.

You can then create a saved perspective with @boss in the search field.

This will give you an extra level of tagging.

Place your other actions into the appropriate contexts of what makes the most sense. Sending an email about something minor, creating an agenda for something that needs to be talked about. Waiting for actions of something you are waiting for your boss to respond to.

If you run into your boss and have some time to go over things, you can bring up the perspective that searches @boss across all contexts and go over the items.

[dp1]

Originally Posted by SpiralOcean

You could try placing a "tag" in the note field that says @boss, or something unique. <snip> All actions with @boss in the note will appear no matter what context.

That's an interesting idea. Since I'm just starting, and have no legacy overhead to convert, let's extend it a bit. What if I had no sub-contexts, but populated the note with whatever variables were appropriate? I would have one large context called Work, and could populate the note not only with sub-context tags, but with project tags, and anything else that might be helpful. &Boss, &Project X, &networking, etc. Do you see any downside to this approach?

[dp1]

My boss often leaves town for several days without informing me in advance, but is usually available via email. In that event, the Boss items get put on hold, and I might miss the deadline. Although not optimal, the email-from-Office context would prevent me from dropping the ball. Does this make sense?

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by dp1

My boss often leaves town for several days without informing me in advance, but is usually available via email. In that event, the Boss items get put on hold, and I might miss the deadline. Although not optimal, the email-from-Office context would prevent me from dropping the ball. Does this make sense?

No, they don't get put on hold (that has a very specific meaning to OmniFocus, and is not likely to be what you are doing, so let's not confuse the discussion with sloppy terminology), but you would not encounter him and so might not be checking that context. Put a due date on that task to ask the boss about XYZ, you'll see the deadline approaching when you look at your list of upcoming due items, and know that you better do something, like email or express moose courier, right?

[dp1]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

<snip>Put a due date on that task to ask the boss about XYZ, you'll see the deadline approaching when you look at your list of upcoming due items, and know that you better do something, like email or express moose courier, right?

I see your point, I think. Upcoming deadlines can be viewed across contexts. This requires me to put firm deadlines on actions that might not otherwise require them. But I would still miss the action if the action were in the Office context and the chance encounter with my boss occurred before the deadline was looming. Or am I missing something?

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by dp1

I see your point, I think. Upcoming deadlines can be viewed across contexts. This requires me to put firm deadlines on actions that might not otherwise require them. But I would still miss the action if the action were in the Office context and the chance encounter with my boss occurred before the deadline was looming. Or am I missing something?

Yeah, that's why I suggested putting it in the Agenda : Boss context. You run into your boss in the hallway, you fish out your iPhone and check that list. You go into a meeting with your boss, you check the list on your Mac or your iPhone. Your boss calls you up, you check the list if you think he'll let you do some of the talking :-) And when you make your daily review of upcoming due items and you see "Ask boss about XYZ" is due tomorrow and you haven't seen him around, or it's the weekend, or you can't otherwise go have a FtF right now, you fire off that email or fax or telephone or whatever else you can do to make contact.

As for due dates on actions that might not otherwise need them, you would only have to put on one this action if there's some date by which you needed to ask the boss, right? I try to avoid unnecessary due dates (*) but am not averse to using them for safety net reminders (such as this) in reasonable numbers.

(*) Actually, I put them on quite a number of things where they are unnecessary so long I'm pretty sure I'm likely to finish them by the due date -- what I dislike is seeing overdue actions which weren't really truly due, as that dilutes the effectiveness of seeing the warning. I'm using them more for the side effect of the "due soon" notification. So, (even) if I'm confident I'll have actually done the task before due date, I may put on the due date as a safety net, or just as an extra reminder to be sure to get this task done if I'm not going to get everything done. I'm asking OmniFocus to nudge me about it if I haven't done anything about it after a reasonable period of time.